Fate Works in Twisted Ways
by Angel Swen
Summary: Yaoi- Dryden/Allen. Yes, bizaar. I know. The continuing saga of them, in love, and other stuff. Fluffy and silly almost to the point of being non-romantic, but I still call it such because I'm stubborn.
1. Allen's Type

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, this story is for fun, not profit. So on and so forth...   
  
I was challenged to write this, and I have. A Dryden/Allen story. Very strange, I need to cut down on sugar... I really do. (Must stop giggling... must stop giggling...)  
  
  
Allen's Type  
(or: the odd yaoi story with the bad title)  
  
The door creaked slightly when it was open. Mr. Rat, as Dryden both privately and publicly named his "assistant" (over the years, he had come to the conclusion "assistant" meant "high strung money-grubbing twit father sent to spy on me") had wanted to fix the squeak, but Dryden made him leave it. It let you know if someone was coming up behind you. Feigning oblivion, he waited until his visitor was within a couple yards before leaping to his feet and speaking.  
  
"Oh golden haired damsel, I do bid you welcome to my humble study. I wish that as you gaze upon these tomes of wisdom that I have in my possession that you reflect upon my qualities as a groom and oh it's you," Dryden cut off abruptly, letting his dramatic gesturing fall flat. Allen blinked in shock for a moment before directing his usual glare at Dryden. Allen had many different glares, this particular one was reserved especially for Dryden and, on occasions, Van, the subjects of his utmost annoyance.  
  
"I may have golden hair," he replied snappishly, "but I am no damsel."  
  
"You could probably pass as one," Dryden replied jovially with a smirk, "so what can I do for you most pretty little blondie?" He plopped back down on the stepladder where he sat reading, peering at the knight over his glasses.  
  
"Don't call me that," Allen narrowed his eyes, "I wanted to see if you had found anything in my father's journal yet."  
  
"If I find something I'll let you know," then Dryden suggested, "how about 'one of the prissy skirt outfit thing'."   
  
"It's part of the uniform. And you shouldn't be talking. Your clothes look as if you raided a used clothing store and made off wearing half the merchandise."  
  
Dryden laughed, "Your hair looks like the princess's."  
  
"You were silly glasses when you don't need them and have a bow in your hair."  
  
Dryden froze. Then, quietly, he stated, "Let me guess, it looks like extra pointy ears." Allen backed up a bit in confusion, trying to comprehend what had come over the other man, but in doing so gave Dryden time to recover. "And your sleeves look like you have watermelons in them," he declared forcefully.  
  
"They do not!" Allen look indignant. This just egged Dryden on, "What are they, floatation devices if you fall in water? Do you have Gaddes blow them up for you in the morning?" With each word Dryden had leaned in closer, so Allen was now glaring directly at Dryden's bright, smirking face.  
  
"I do not," was his only defense, "and at least I treat women with respect."  
  
"You treat them like delicate dolls. Really, they don't need that. They can take care of themselves, they need us no more than we need them."  
  
"And what do you mean by that?" Allen asked, smiling back, but his insinuation clear by the tone of his voice. He had won, Dryden would get indignant and fold over in defeat and...  
  
"I think you know," was Dryden's only response besides kissing Allen. Allen's eyes widened in shock, and he was too surprised to break it off. And so they were there for a moment, lips pressed together. Then Dryden's tongue swiped across Allen's bottom lip and...  
  
"What the hell???" Allen jumped back, staring at Dryden, who was regarding him with a tilted head and blank expression. Allen scooted back as far as the cramped room would allow, until his back was flat against a bookshelf on the other side of the room from Dryden. There was a few minutes of thick silence, in which neither dared to move or to speak.  
  
Finally, Dryden broke it, "So you're telling me you didn't like the kiss?" Allen stared at him without speaking. He highly doubted that he was capable of speech at this point. "Well, Allen, I believe it's traditional that people respond in conversations."  
  
Then, the blond knight spoke, "Your bow does look like you have extra ears."  
  
Dryden sighed. "Everyone says that. Even Sylvie. You'd think she'd wouldn't be picky but no, she said 'Take your hair down and stop wearing those silly glasses.' Funny that you would share the same opinion."  
  
"Who's Sylvie?" Allen asked, feeling that he was on safer grounds at last.  
  
"A mermaid," Dryden smiled wistfully. He paused for a moment, then, quite deliberately, pulled the bow out of his hair and removed his glasses. "So, do I look any better this way?" he inquired mischievously smiling his 'you know you want me' grin.  
  
Allen felt the safe grounds turn into quicksand as he mentally admitted, yes, Dryden did look good with his hair down ... now if he wasn't wearing that silly robe thing ... He quickly derailed that train of thought. Allen suddenly found that Dryden was next to him, leaning against the wall, his hair still down but his glasses back on.  
  
"So are you interested?" Dryden smirked. Allen was really starting to ... not hate that smirk as much as he use to. Though he did not appreciate that insinuation in the question. Allen found himself foundering between his previous dislike of Dryden and what was happening now. Lost in his vow to never fall in love again and... Dryden wouldn't exactly be the same sort of risk, would he? Couldn't get much different from Marlene, even Eris would admit that. But Millerna...  
  
"You're engaged," Allen muttered as his last, desperate stand. He stared down at the floor, not wanting to admit that he was blushing feverishly.  
  
"It's a political engagement. I'm sure Millerna's only putting up with it because I'm going to be away most of the time," Dryden replied gently. "I'm not really her type, even I need to go and admit that."  
  
"But you're my type?" Allen inquired, feeling that he was quite perversely enjoying this conversation. Dryden smiled at him, with not a hint of smirking upon his unshaven face.  
  
"Well, I think that is more your area of knowledge," he purred.  
  
  
  
Van wandered down the passageways, trying to find Dryden to thank him for paying for Escaflowne's repairs. Dryden's ship was much nicer than the Crusade, you had to admit that, but it was horribly easy to get lost. As he turned a corner, he spied Merle leaning with on large against the wall, eyes peering inside a barely opened door.  
  
"What are you looking at Merle?" he whispered, looking also. Then, words failed him and his puppy dog eyes opened ridiculously wide. His face was a mask of sheer and utter shock ... dropped chin and all.  
  
Dryden... and Allen... were... kissing... no, scratch that. It was full make out session.  
  
"Maybe we shouldn't be watch this..." Van suggested. Merle just shhh'ed him and continued to hungrily stare. She couldn't wait to tell Hitomi and Millerna.  
  



	2. Rationales and Blackmailing

Note: Thanks to the support of the first Allen/Dryden story (yeah! You didn't kill me! you tolerate me, you really tolerate me!) I have decided to write a sequel. Sugar was once again involved in the writing.  
  
Chapter summary: Merle learns the joys of blackmail, Dryden attempts to negotiate with her, Allen is feeling very stressed for some reason, and everyone is confused and acting rather silly.  
  
  
Rationales and Blackmailing  
(a sequel to the odd yaoi story with the bad title)  
  
Allen was taking a shower. A _cold_ shower. Whilst trying to convince himself that he had not just done what he thought he had just done. He was failing.  
  
"I... kissed... Dryden," was the mantra he muttered under his breath in time with pounding his head against the wall.   
  
"I..." *whack* "Kissed..." *whack* "Dryden..." *whack whack*  
  
Admittedly, it had been a nice kiss. Allen was an experienced kisser (and quite a good one to boot) and he had to admit that much. It was not that so much as the fact he had enjoyed it immensely that bothered him.  
  
"I..." *whack* "LIKED..." *Whack!* "Kissing..." *whack* "Dryden..." *whack whack*  
  
He noted the fact he was suddenly noticing that Dryden was attractive. Very good looking. Hadn't Millerna said he himself had said the same. "And I'm not too bad in the looks department, if I do say so myself." Damn him and his cute smirk. Okay, sexy smirk. And silly glasses. Damn him. And his contagiously cheerful laidback personality. And the fact he was rich, smart, and had a... what was that other thing? A sense of humor? Oh yeah, that too. It was a concept Allen was a bit rusty on, seeing as his love life had always been horribly serious. Damn him and his sense of humor and the fact he was so likable and so unlike Millerna and all the other court girls. Damn him.  
  
Allen stopped the head pounding and sunk to the floor.  
  
"I... Like... Dryden..."   
  
  
  
Meanwhile Dryden was sitting in his study, reading Leon Schezar's journal. It was quite heavy going, seeing how the translations to the words had a time lapse between him reading them and them registering in his mind. He squinted cutely in determination and plowed onwards.   
  
"Watcha doing Dryden?" rang a cheerful voice. Dryden jumped slightly as he suddenly found a pink haired catgirl perched behind him on the step ladder, peering over his shoulder at the text.  
  
"You're Merle, right?" Dryden smiled at the catgirl indulgently as she looked around the study. She seemed innocent enough. At her meow of affirmation he continued. "What can I do for you? Does the King want to talk to me?"   
  
"Noooo..." she teasingly stretched out the syllable. Her tail was swishing back and forth hypnotically, a sure sign Merle was up to something.  
  
"Then what could you ever be here for?"  
  
"Can't you guess?" she smiled happily at him.  
  
"No. I'm afraid not. Do you care to enlighten me?"   
  
The cat girl giggled. "I saw you and Allen," Merle practically sang, appreciating how Dryden's eyes got wide and his jaw dropped. She wondered if you could fit your whole fist in his mouth, it certainly looked big enough.  
  
"You... er... saw... us..." Dryden stammered. But as he did Merle scampered out of the room, giggling insanely at his distress. "Err... WAIT! COME BACK HERE!" he managed a recovery and chased after her, down the halls of the airship.  
  
Needless to say, when they ran into Millerna and Hitomi things suddenly got very complicated.   
  
  
  
After his prolonged shower, Allen decided that he should go talk to Dryden. He had avoided this long enough and the honorable knightly thing to do was to face his fate like a man. The trouble was it was very hard to feel brave when you see the guy you're about face chasing a catgirl down the hall yelling at her.   
  
Abandoning his first plan, Allen turned on his heels and headed towards the bridge. When all else failed, he could at least act like nothing had happened and get on with his life. Of course, fate was mocking him and therefore that fell out from under him approximately five seconds after stepping onto the bridge of the Crusade.  
  
"Hey Boss," Gadeth called, "Why's your hair all wet?"  
  
Allen looked at him intently, blinked, and felt himself hovering on the edge of a hysterical breakdown. But somewhere deep inside, behind the twitching nervous about-to-scream-why-can't-I-just-confess-and-be-done-with-it-ness, a numb voice replied.   
  
"No reason."  
  
Gadeth looked at him very strangely. The rest of the crew were probably doing the same. "Are you okay Boss?" Gadeth asked in the calm, concerned tone used on animals and small children that are emotionally unstable.  
  
"Fine. Never been better."  
  
Gadeth exchanged glances with the other men. "Right Boss. Just come on now, you need to go lay down." He edged carefully towards Allen and nudge the blond's shoulder in the direction of the door.   
  
"No, I don't I'm fine. Fine." Allen protested in a dull monotone, but allowed himself to be led off.  
  
The remaining crew looked at each other very confused indeed.  
  
  
  
"Dryden?" Millerna asked worriedly. Her fiance had just tackled Merle and was now attempting to cover the catgirl's mouth with his hand, despite the fact she was biting him.   
  
"Yes?" Dryden asked innocently.  
  
"Why are you..." she searched for a way to say 'fighting with Merle' that didn't sound like 'fighting with Merle' due to the fact that sounded very silly and unprincessy.  
  
"...fighting with Merle?" she conceded.  
  
"We're not fighting. We're having a mature conversation aren't we Merle?" the catgirl bit his hand harder. He flinched in pain. "Come now, and we shall continue our discussion. Elsewhere," he added sharply to the end and half dragged Merle around the corner, smiling a rather forced smile at Millerna.  
  
"Did that just happen?" asked Hitomi, wondering if this whole thing really wasn't just some drug trip. She was sure anyone that heard about what had happened to her would think that it was. Plus she was never sure what it was Yukari was giving her as "nutrition supplements."  
  
"No. I couldn't possible of happened," the princess answered.  
  
"Right," agreed Hitomi.  
  
  
  
"What the matter Allen?" Gadeth inquired, staring intently into his superior's eyes. All he got was an incoherent mumble in reply. "Okay, how about I guess." Mumble. "All right, is it about Millerna?" Allen shook his head. "Is it about Hitomi?" No. "Is it about a woman at least." Defiantly no. "All right, is it about Dryden?" Gadeth took the way Allen started to rhythmically hit his head against the nearest wall as a yes. "Is it about him reading your father's journal? Are you worried about what he's going to find there? You never talk about your family and..."  
  
"I kissed him."  
  
Gadeth stopped mid sentence and foundered briefly, wondering what he was supposed to do now. "Kissed who?"  
  
"Dryden." *whack* *whack* *whack*  
  
"All right... that's erm... that's all right Boss... I mean," Gadeth briefly stumbled with the thought that this was nothing compared to the level of weirdness that had been occurring recently, but decided that Allen didn't want to here that. *whack* "Could you at least stop banging your head against the wall? Thanks. So you kissed Dryden? And he kissed you back?" Nod. "Okay, then that's fine then, because... well..." Stumbling, stumbling, think of something quick. "Princess Millerna will get over it, she's young, she'll find someone else." Gadeth patted Allen on the back. "I'm sure it will all work out for the best."  
  
"Gadeth? Can I ask you a favor? Don't tell anyone about this."  
  
"Right Boss."  
  
  
  
"What do you want?" Dryden asked desperately, "I'll pay you whatever you like. You CANNOT tell ANYONE about this? Okay? Okay? How much?"  
  
Merle grinned evilly, "We'll work it out when the time comes, until then, remember: I own you. He he he." She then skipped off merrily, dreaming of the perfect time to call in her favor. Consumed with the image of her and Van-sama's perfect wedding, her looking marvelous in an expensive white dress (paid for by Dryden, out of the goodness of his heart *wink wink*), Van in his best prince outfit. The flowers, the alter, the kiss...   
  
She wondered dreamily pass Allen and Gadeth, the former regarded her blankly, the later wondering if there was any sane people left.  
  
"Are you going to be okay boss?" Gadeth asked. Allen nodded. "Okay, I better go make sure those bums aren't goofing off." He walked away, glancing at Allen over his shoulder, making sure the blond wasn't going to bolt off and have a hysterical breakdown, he certainly looked like he was going to. But Allen just stood there calmly, staring into space.  
  
When Gadeth was out of sight, Allen sunk to the ground, holding his head in his hands. "First father has to be dug up, and now this," he moaned, "How could life possibly get worse?"   
  
Fate grinned, for everyone knows what happens when you ask that. 


	3. How not to plan for a trip

Notes: This was a bitch to write. Bad story! Bad! I tried to make this go along with the show, but I'm not sure if I succeeded. I'm slaughtering the plot somewhere around episodes 15 and 16 here, if you were interested in seeing how it matches up with the actual show.   
Many many thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. Thank you for nagging me into writing more! I love you all!! I'm a sucker for feedback. On with the story.  
  
  
How Not to Plan for a Trip  
(or: Why asking "How can life possibly get worse?" is a bad idea)  
  
Gadeth watched Allen from around a corner. Yes, things were bad. Anything that could reduce the boss to sulking on the ground... He didn't want to think what the men would do if they found out about all this. Their loyalty had been stretched thinly as of late, and the last thing they needed to do is lose confidence in Allen.  
  
The shipped suddenly rocked violently, almost throwing Gadeth to the ground as well.  
  
"Boss! Boss!" a man ran up screaming, "It's Zaibach! They're attacking!"  
  
  
  
Dryden was in his study once again, having given up searching for Allen and instead taking a Zen like approach of having Allen come to him. Besides, he was utterly engrossed in Leon's journal. He was an interesting guy. Plus any opportunity to find out about his boyfriend's family was hardly a bad thing. Dryden cackled to himself. "I've got it! I've got it!" He declared aloud, "Just as I thought, all the mysteries lie in the Mystic Valley!" He then broke into wild laughter, the whole time completely oblivious to the battle going on outside.  
  
  
  
"That was tough!" Dryden declared cheerfully, having gathered the whole gang together, still obnoxiously ignoring the fact there had been any sort of battle involving leopard twins in the recent past. "It took a while to figure out that it's written in the language of the Mystic Moon!"   
  
Hitomi was involved in quietly wishing Dryden would stop using exclamation points so often, when the words "Mystic Moon" hit her. Oh geez, what had she done this time? Oh, he's talking about the language in the journal. Note to self: get more sleep. "Mystic Moon?" she asked vaguely.  
  
"Young Master," that Mr. Rat interrupted, "enough is enough! Zaibach has their eyes on you! No good will come of this!" he squeaked, clutching his abacus protectively to his chest, fez balancing worriedly on his head.   
  
Well *DUH*, I could have told you that, Hitomi thought.  
  
"Go home," Dryden stated firmly. Huh? "I've decided to go to the Mystic Valley," he smirked, snapping the book shut, "Take this ship back to Palas."  
  
Oh great, now he's stealing my stuff, Allen groaned mentally. All Hitomi saw was him not wanting to go, and quickly misinterpreted it.  
  
"WHAT?" Mr. Rat panicked, "How I am supposed to explain it to the master if I return without you or any cargo?"  
  
"I'll write him a note," Dryden explained. Mr. Rat looked about to faint. "If you tell him I'm with Princess Millerna it'll be okay."  
  
Okay, now he's dragging the Princess along too. What is he up to? Allen wondered.  
  
"Dryden!" Millerna protested, "I..."  
  
"You're coming, Allen is, after all..." Dryden reasoned to her.   
  
"Why should I go?" asked Allen, irritable. After all, you seem to be avoiding me, and there's no reason for us all to drag ourselves into an even bigger mess...  
  
"Because you have to," Dryden informed him. "Your father threw away his home, his fortune, and his family to find the Mystic Valley. It's a famous story in Asturia. Heck, even I know it."  
  
Allen was now pissed. You care more about the stupid valley than me huh? Nooo... you couldn't say, 'You have to come because I love you' and ohmygod where did that come from?   
  
"I want to go too," Van chimed in, "the Mystic Valley is the homeland of the Draconians, I want to see the source of the blood that flows in my veins. And the bond between that land and Escaflowne."  
  
"Well, damn," Dryden commented, expressing the general feel of the conversation, "Is it just fate that's brought together all these people that are tied by the Mystic Valley?"  
  
  
  
"Let's see here. Pack light, that's the ticket. Okay, just grab a couple books about Atlantis, stick in the journal, and maybe some clean clothes, Mother always said have clean clothes on trips, never know what's going to happen, well on this one *anything* could, Mother's always right I suppose. Okay, now let's head over to the Crusade before Mr. Rat shows up again to talk me out of it. Not that he could. We're going to the Mystic Valley, no matter what..."  
  
Allen stood outside Dryden's study, listening to the other man ramble on to himself while packing to leave. Allen was waiting to officially announce that he was mad and Not Talking to Dryden. He felt he needn't explain this, because Dryden's insistence on dragging up painful family memories should have been more than obvious to the general populace and his, Allen's, anger at the situation was duly justified.  
  
Oh course, a tiny subsection of his mind perked up, you should at least talk to him first since you've been avoiding him ever since you ran off from the make out session and went to take a cold shower... At that point it was silenced by the rest of Allen's brain beating it into submission. That part was always causing trouble, needed to be taught a lesson yes indeed...  
  
"Now just head over the Crusade, hi Allen, you're looking nice today, and we're off to the Mystic Valley," Dryden rambled on some more, commenting on Allen as if he was a standard piece of the scenery. Allen started in surprise, half from the compliment, half from the subsequent dismissal, before coming to his senses.  
  
"I'm not talking to you," the knight stated firmly, while his mind hog-tied the tiny lovesick subsection squeaking that Dryden was looking good too, very kissable, so why don't they do just that?  
  
"Really? It would seem you just did. What's the matter? You've haven't been avoiding me or something, have you, because I've been hard pressed to find you. Though that should be significantly easier on your smaller ship. Mind if we discuss this while walking, I'm sure the others are expecting us to show up soon."  
  
"I'm mad at you, you know," Allen added. He'd forgotten how talking to Dryden threw him off his feet. "You dragging up this stupid history, completely unconcerned for how I fell about it all." God, I sound like a whiny girl, tiny brain subsection, having been restrained but never gagged, commented.  
  
"Well, how do you feel about this?" Dryden stopped abruptly, causing Allen who had been following him closely at his heels to bang into him. Dryden whirled around a peered over his glasses directly into Allen's eyes. Allen stared back, brain cells too busy fighting with each other to form a coherent answer. "You're cute when you're all irritated, did you know that?" Dryden added, finding the temptation to do so irresistible.  
  
"I... I... I don't like it... erm..." Allen mumbled. Pull yourself together! his brain snapped. Kiss him! Kiss him! the not so tiny and growing subsection chanted.   
  
Dryden's expression softened, and he said sweetly, "I'm sure your father didn't hate you. He shouldn't of run off on you like that, but what's done is done. You can't do anything about what happened in the past, so you just have to try to move on with your life and make the best of it."  
  
The subsection of Allen's brain swooned, then grabbed control of Allen's bodily function and kissed Dryden deeply, finding it highly offensive that their was any space between them. The rest of Allen's brain shrieked various things but found the tables turned as it was now beat into submission. They kissed.  
  
"I'm still mad at you," Allen mumbled when the broke apart due to need of oxygen. Dryden snorted, then kissed the other man again. Allen was more agreeable when he was being kissed (and thusly not using his mouth for other purposes, like talking).  
  
And all was nearly right in their little dot on the map of the world.  
  
  
  
Okay, let's take stock of the situation, shall we? Gadeth thought to himself. We are now on the run from Zaibach, who wants to kill us, looking for a place that may or may not exist, on a continent that's supposed to be cursed, and we are heading their across a sea that's nitorious for killing every sailor that tries to cross it. Plus, we ourselves are a group of dysfunctional people who all seem caught up in complex love polygons and have long, complicated family histories that are coming back to haunt us. Oh, and did I mention Zaibach's trying to kill us? See, things aren't all that bad. We're all be fine. Once we figure out what we're doing, but that's not my place. Let the others worry about the fact we appear to be doomed. Just go along with it.   
  
Gadeth stared into space for a moment, trying to calm down. As he did so he saw Allen and Dryden board the Crusade, the latter beating off that rat guy who was desperately clinging to him. Gadeth blinked, noticed that Allen looked amused, and almost happy. This was a good sign, they were saved! He knew all those broken mirrors were just a fluke. And that black cat, who kept running under ladders. And that creepy Hitomi girl mumbling, "Doom... Death... Destruction..." All flukes. They meant nothing. Nothing at all.  
  
Fate snickered. "Shut up," Gadeth muttered.  
  
  
  
"What do I want? Oh what do I want?" Merle wondered aloud as she lounged on a pile of clothes in the Guymelf hanger. "Van-sama covered in honey tied to my bed? That would me nice. A cut of his profits for the next twenty years? Tempting, tempting. I could pay to repair Fanielia and then Van-sama would be in debt to me and realize that I was a wonderful person and he loved me not that freaky bobby haired girl from the Mystic Moon." *pause* "But I think I'll stick with the Van covered in honey..."  
  
  
  
And so, the cast that seemed to be increasingly like Jerry Springer guests with each passing moment boarded the airship Crusade and set out for the cursed continent of Asgard, unaware of what challenged lay ahead. For at that very moment, the dark forces of Zaibach were intent on following...  
  
"Folken-sama! Can we go to Asgard too?" Eriya pleaded, doing her catgirl best to have puppy dog eyes.  
  
"We want to beat up those stupid people that keep beating us and capture your brother for you!" Naria added with a cheery hopefulness.  
  
"Pleeeeeeaaasssssssseee???" they both finished together. Folken sweatdropped.  
  
Yep, definitely evil. 


End file.
